


Switch It Up

by blackkat



Series: Role Swap AUs [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Jounin Instructor Yamato, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 23:33:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20804804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: Yamato is assigned to Team 7 as their jounin sensei. He may or may not be an evil mastermind, but it all works out for the better.





	Switch It Up

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: For the role reversal swap Yamato teaches team seven the first time around

“That’s…impressive,” Genma says, eyeing the knot of students slumped panting on the ground. Sasuke's face is covered in scratches where he fell head-first into a patch of brambles, and Naruto is covered in bee stings and mud. Sakura has branches in her hair, but doesn’t seem to give a damn about them, her ripped dress, her bruises; she’s sprawled out like a starfish, dazed like she’s seen the gates of hell and come back whole but can't quite believe it.

Now that Yamato looks, though, all three of them kind of have that look.

“Well,” he says judiciously, taking the canteen Genma offers him. “Mostly, whenever I encounter a problem, I think _what would Kakashi-senpai_ do.”

Genma looks at him, lets his gaze slide back to the genin, then on to the shadow of the other figure who’s been training them. Zabuza is stretched out at the base of another tree next to his apprentice, looking ill-tempered and annoyed, but still remarkably present. Then again, Yamato supposes that the promise of a reliable paycheck is a big draw to a missing-nin. It’s not even much of an inconvenience; Yamato's been in ANBU for over a decade now, and has the pay to prove it. funding Zabuza’s revolution in return for some swordsmanship training for his genin was an easy decision, especially when it got them all out of Wave alive and in one piece.

“Kakashi,” Genma echoes, doubtful.

Yamato smiles, perfectly innocent. “Of course,” he says. “And then I do the exact opposite.”

Genma chokes on his next sip of water, coughing through a fit of laughter, and Yamato pretends he doesn’t hear the sound of deep offense from the branches over his head. Hound keeping an eye on Naruto isn't his business, and if Kakashi overhears something he doesn’t like, he can take it up with Yamato later.

Setting the canteen aside, Yamato straightens and calls, “All right, your break is over. everyone up.”

The horrified looks echoed on all three faces just make Yamato's heart _sing_.

“You're a _sadist_,” Naruto wails, but he still rolls over and scrambles to his feet, apparently remembering what happened last time they failed to move quickly enough.

Yamato smiles peaceably. “I'm your teacher,” he returns, and steps forward. Angles his face so that the shadows fall across it in a menacing veil, framing his smile, and watches with amusement as Naruto goes stiff and horrified and paper-white beneath his tan. “So I'm going to _teach_ you.”

Besides, given the personalities of his students, the best possible thing to do is keep them all too busy for drama. If Sasuke's spent eight hours in brutal training, with Yamato looming over him with horror stories about Orochimaru and Danzō, he’s too tired to even _contemplate_ doing something stupid for more power. If Sakura is knee-deep in medical tests and strength-building exercises that would make Gai cry with joy, she doesn’t have any time to dwell on her crush. And if Naruto is running flat-out from one less to the next, building up his basic knowledge and drilling on ninjutsu until anyone with less of a chakra reserve would have dropped dead twice over, he can’t drag lessons down into chaos with his and Sasuke's rivalry and his fawning over Sakura.

It’s genius, if Yamato does say so himself.

“You're _evil_,” Genma says admiringly, and raises his water in toast. “Hell, and I thought Chōza was bad.”

“Thank you,” Yamato says easily, and claps his hands. “_Up_,” he reminds his students, and Sakura and Sasuke groan and protest but lever themselves to their feet. Across the training ground, Zabuza looks up, but Yamato waves him back. This next part is just repetition, and he doesn’t need a skilled swordsman’s oversight for that. “All right, endurance training next. Three laps around the outer village walls, and don’t let Genma here tag you with a senbon, or you have to start all over again.”

Three pale faces turn to Genma, who grins lazily, flipping a senbon into the air.

Yamato is very, very fond of Genma's sense of humor.

“Well?” he asks mildly. “What are you waiting for?”

Instantly, well able to recognize the threat in that tone, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura scramble for the road, running flat-out. Chuckling, Yamato watches them go, then returns to Genma's side to let the dust of their departure clear.

“_Evil_,” Genma repeats, awed, and slides off the railing of the bridge to give Yamato a smirk. “You know you owe me dinner for this.”

“I won't even run out and stick you with the bill,” Yamato promises, and Genma laughs, tosses him a lazy salute, and saunters off to go intercept the genin.

Yamato watches him go, more than a little pleased, and pretends he can't sense Kakashi pouting in the tree above him.


End file.
